Intro to Cassette Recorder Operation, Maintenance, and Repair

So our first stop will be talking about the controls for the transport. The transport is the mechanism that physically handles the movement of the tape. It's what winds the tape in one direction or the other and what engages the heads for playback and recording. Transport controls can be roughly grouped into two categories, mechanical and electronic.

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Mechanical controls actuate rods, levers, and gears and cause the mechanism to do what you requested. The most common of these is the piano key style as seen in pics 1 and 2. Piano key controls are very common on decks from the 60's up until the 80's. You push down on a lever that makes part of the internal mechanism move. Similar mechanisms, though not as exposed, were used in almost every "shoe box" (pic 1) style portable cassette recorder.

Pics 3-8 show some other types of transport controls found on portables. Instead of a lever you push down upon you have a rocker mechanism or a button. Not pictured is the style found on the first cassette recorder which is a lever that moves side to side. There were also some machines that used a knob you turned to do different functions. All are still mechanical in operation. As long as you don't force the mechanism or try to get it to do two things at once, they are fairly robust and rarely require repair.

Pics 9-10 show examples of the controls to an electronically controlled transport. In these, you push a button that is actually a switch which causes a very basic computer system in the deck to actuate a solenoid that engages whatever function you requested. Keep in mind when I say basic computer, I mean the lowest Arduino can run marathons around it!

What's the benefit to the electronically controlled transport? It protects itself from users trying to cycle it too fast or jam it into two modes at once. It also allows for some basic automation. Looking closely at pics 9-10 one deck has an "auto space" function and the other a "search" function. Auto Space automatically inserts a certain amount of blank space at the end of a recording and then stops the deck. Search function is just that, it fast forwards looking for music, when it finds it, it stops, rewinds a touch, then plays. These automations are possible with an electronically controlled transport. Remote control didn't become economically viable until electronically controlled transports came around.

On some decks you may see the term CUE/REVIEW. This allows you to listen to the audio as you are fast forwarding or rewinding. While it makes finding music on a tape easier, it does shorten the life of the heads (part that reads the tape) if used extensively.

One final type of transport control to mention that lies partially between mechanical and electronic, power assisted mechanical. There was an interim time where manufacturers wanted something different but didn't want to spend the money on a still expensive fully electronic transport. They came up with a mechanical transport that uses the tape deck's motor to fully engage a button for you. You still have a mechanical button but when you push it, the mechanism kicks in and greatly lessens the force necessary to activate the function. These decks while novel are very prone to jamming once the belt goes slack. The user hits a button, the mechanism kicks in, the belt starts to slip, and that's it... stuck deck. Easy to fix by opening the deck and turning mechanism by hand but many end up with ripped off doors from angry users trying to extract their tapes.

Belts.. The bane of the cassette enthusiasts world!

Why belts? Belts allow the transfer of force from the motor to the other parts of the mechanism. The electric motors used in cassette decks don't run 100% smooth, They kind of micro-nudge along and this nudging must be smoothed out. The smoothing out is done by the elasticity of the belt which provides mechanical isolation and by a flywheel. With the exception of one esoteric Eumig brand deck, all cassette decks have flywheels.

In pic 1 you see the inside of a lowly GE shoe box recorder. It's basic operation isn't much different than that of a high end home audio deck. You mash a button, it engages the mechanism, the motor turns on, things happen. This machine has a single motor transport. One motor does it all. This setup is common to entry level machines. One motor can do it all but its not ideal as there's more variables to control AND keep the motor speed from fluctuating.

In that pic you see a whitish plastic pulley on the left, that's the motor pulley. As you follow the belt around, it rides past a large metal pulley, that's the flywheel which drives the capstan. What's a capstan? I'll explain that when we get into the part of the deck the cassette goes into. Finally on the belt's route is a black plastic pulley. That one drives the hubs. The hubs are what moves the tape along in FFWD or REW. This setup is very common on portables and low end home decks.

Pics 2-3 show the transport of a Harmon Kardon home deck. Not a cheap deck but they used a single motor to do everything, obviously done to please the accountants. The deck still achieves very good specs by using a very heavy flywheel and large motor.

In pic 2, right below the number 12 on the motor, you see a small hole. This is a speed adjustment port. A small flathead or philips (depending on motor) inserted there can be used to adjust speed. Not all cassette deck motors have this but a great many do. The screwdriver should have its shaft insulated as some motors have the part in the motor you adjust inside at one electrical potential and the case at another. This is not a fix for a slack belt. This is not a fix for a dragging transport that needs to be cleaned and lubed. This is intended to be used with a speed adjustment tape and a frequency counter. You play a tape that has a tone on it that was recorded on calibrated equipment. The output of the machine you are working on is connected to a frequency counter and the motor speed is adjusted until the correct frequency shows on the counter.

On older top loaders, it's not uncommon to find a large AC motor instead of a small DC can motor. Decks with those large AC motors don't have speed adjustments. If the deck is playing slow, the belt is slipping or the mechanism is dragging and needs to be cleaned and lubed.

Higher end decks can have multiple motors dedicated to specific functions.

In pic 4 you see a belt going to a wheel shaped part. This is the auto stop sensor. The auto stop mechanism does just what the name implies, it automatically stops the machine at the end of the tape. This can be only in play mode as found in very old or basic decks or can be in any mode in which there is tape movement. This is done to lessen wear on the machine when it's left unattended. Auto stop can be achieved two ways, monitor tape movement or a physical lever against the tape that trips when there's too much tension.

The mechanical system uses a plastic finger that reaches into the cassette right next to where the heads go in to read the tape. The finger rides on the tape. When the tape reaches it's end, the mechanism pulls it tight, this puts tension on the lever causing it to trip the auto stop.

The electronic system uses a hall effect sensor or an optical sensor. If the tape is moving, the sensor wheel is turning, the circuit that monitors it says all is well. Once you hit the end of the tape, the counter stops moving, the sensor wheel quits turning, the auto stop sensor detects no pulses and it stops the machine.

It's not uncommon to find the electronic sensor system tied to the tape counter mechanism as is done in pic 4. It doesn't have to be implemented this way but you will see this. The belt that drives the counter is important but not speed critical. In a bind? a rubber band will work for a while.

On either type of auto stop setup, it may be possible to engage play without a tape. This is not a flaw. This makes it easier to clean the capstan and pinch roller. Remember the auto stop is really for detecting the tape is at its end and mechanism is binding up.

Some higher end decks will use sensors to detect how many times the hubs have turned to try to give you an actual time left on a tape versus just a counter that has no relation to time. This is built into the transport and not typically accessed for basic repairs or maintenance.

Not all cassette decks have auto stop. Some of the very early machines didn't have it and it took a while for the low budget machines to implement it. How do you know if your machine has it? On many machines it will clearly say it somewhere near the transport controls. Another way to check is put a tape in that's already rewound and hit the REW button. It should try to rewind and then give up and stop. On some early machines you had auto stop only on play mode. This means when the tape hit the end, the machine would stop but only when in play mode. If it was in FFWD or REW the motor would keep running and a felt clutch under the hub would just slip. Best bet is don't leave the machine running unattended until you verify that your machine has auto stop and it works.

"My deck says auto reverse. What does that mean?"

Auto reverse means the machine is capable of playing both sides of a tape without you having to flip it over. There were some really interesting ways of doing this were some machines actually flipped the tape over. These machines are cool to watch but rare finds. The great majority of auto reverse decks simply change the direction of play and flip the heads around on a rotating mechanism inside the deck. This is by far the most common way its handled. On some home decks, most portables, and car stereos the way they handle playing both sides is the head (part that reads the tape) is setup to read all 4 tracks at once so it's just a matter of changing tape direction and electronically selecting what tracks to listen to. A standard stereo cassette has 4 tracks, 2 per side.

How do I know a belt is bad? On a working machine, warbly play, random stopping, incomplete FFWD or REW operations can indicate bad belts. On a non working machine that powers on and things all look normal but nothing happens when buttons are pushed, it can be a bad belt.

"Can I replace the belts myself?"

Maybe. How good are you with mechanisms and how intricate is the machine you are working on? The GE in the picture is a cakewalk. A few screws and your in. Some other machines may require extensive disassembly and the skills of a watchmaker to get everything back together. That's beyond the scope of this instructable but there's only one way to learn and it's by doing. Please keep in mind that even if broken, some cassette decks can be worth hundreds, a few past the thousand dollar mark. Research what you got before using it as a Guinea pig to learn on.

"Where do you buy belts?"

There are a few sources online that sell tape recorder belt kits. The better kits will include some instructions and have all the belts you need in the correct sizes. This is the safest way to get the job done without error but also the most expensive. There are vendors selling belt lots. This can save you a bunch of coin but now you need to be able to properly size the replacement belt (comes with experience) and the quality of those belt lots varies drastically.

"Can I use rubber bands?"

Yes, and the machine will perform horribly. Rubber bands are too springy. Proper tape machine belts have very little give when it comes to being stretched. Give translates into warbly audio due to inconsistent speed. In a bind rubber bands can be used for non critical things like the counter but they don't last very long.

THIS IS GONNA GET DIRTY... you've been warned!

Old tape deck belts can fail in three ways, stretch, melt, or dry rot.

Melt and dry rot are easy to check for. Open the deck up and look at the belt that goes around the flywheel and around the motor. Is the belt present or did it turn into a mess of black goo? DO NOT TOUCH the black goo. It gets on everything and ruins clothes. It's like tar. Magic melting belts are to be expected in old cassette decks. If the belt melted long ago and wasn't disturbed, you may actually luck out and it's gone into a dried out hardened state which is much easier to clean up. Either way, this can be cleaned up and fixed. Got some on you? Ammonia based window cleaners dissolve it and make cleanup easier.

What if the belt is present, not melted, and looks okay? Here's how you check for stretch. Let's go back to the pic of the old GE shoebox recorder for a second. The big metal wheel is the flywheel that's attached to the capstan. The main belt, and possibly the only belt on some machines, runs around that flywheel and onto the motor. With the deck opened up, power it up and hit play. If it won't stay in play, try putting a cassette in you don't care if you loose just to keep the auto stop mechanism happy. A good belt will have grip on the motor pulley. To determine if the belt is still good simply put the machine into play mode and with your finger, stop the flywheel from turning. When the flywheel stops, the motor should stall. If the motor does not come to a complete stop, you have a stretched or worn belt. Don't do this for more than a second or so, it's hard on the motor.

Tape decks can have more than one belt or a combination of belts, gears, and tiny rubber tires to handle the shuffling of the tape. Always replace all the belts when servicing a deck due to a bad belt. Remember, they are all the same age so all are degrading together.

"I've got black goo all over the inside the mechanism, now what?"

Q-tips and Windex or similar ammonia based glass cleaner to the rescue. Pour some Windex into a disposable shot glass or something similar sized, dip the Q-tip in Windex, start cleaning. Windex dissolves the melted belt goo. You will go through MANY Q-tips. Anything that goo gets on, it sticks to. It's vile stuff. Don't stop till it's all cleaned up. Make sure the V groove in the pulleys is COMPLETELY free of black goo. Leaving any in there will accelerate the failure of the new belt and drag down the mechanism speed.

If the machine uses small rubber ringed wheels for part of it's operation, clean those as well. This can be challenging as some will be well hidden but with patience you can clean, move it a little, clean, etc. clean both the rubber tire surface and the surface it rides on.

In pic 1-4 you see the inside of the tape well on 3 different cassette decks and a microcassette deck (note similarities). The tape well is where you insert the cassette into the machine. This can be via a slot in the door were you load the tape and it aligns it for you as you shut the door or it can be like what's used in some portables where you lay the tape into the mechanism. Regardless of who made the machine, The all have the parts we are going to talk about.

Let's concentrate on pic 1. In the center you see two black nubs with ridges. Those are the hubs. They drive the tape back and forth for FFWD and REW along with taking up the slack as you play a tape. Got a machine that "eats" tapes? Often times it's the take up hub slipping and not spooling the played tape up fast enough to keep it from being knotted up in the machine. You can catch this by watching it as it plays. What causes that? Slipping belts or glazed idler wheels is a common fault. A binding tape can also cause that. Really low end machines that don't have rewind will have only 1 hub and a peg where the other hub would be.

On the rear left of pic 1 you see a vertical metal shaft with a rubber tire behind it. The is the capstan and the pinch roller. These two are responsible for maintaining consistent play back speed. When you insert a tape into a cassette deck, the shell is designed so the tape media threads between the capstan (vertical metal shaft) and the pinch roller (rubber tire). When you hit play, the mechanism mashes the pinch roller against the capstan shaft, pinching the tape in a tight grip, thus being able to control it's speed as it plays. Remember that flywheel on the backside of the mechanism we discussed? That flywheel is attached to the capstan shaft.

What can go wrong here? The biggest fail here is lack of maintenance. Not cleaning old residue from countless hours of tape builds up. Tapes shed oxide. Older tapes and low quality tapes tend to shed the most. They leave a rust looking residue on the pinch roller, capstan, and the heads (we'll talk more about those soon). As the residue builds up, it doesn't happen evenly. At first it just affects the sound, making good tapes sound dull. As the residue gets real bad, it can actually cause the machine to eat tapes by forcing the tape out of alignment. Pic 2 shows what a well used but clean roller should look like. Aside from possible physical damage caused by an angered user, these parts are fairly robust. The rollers on some very old machines can harden causing problems. The only fix is to find a donor machine with a similar sized roller and replace it. Maintenance wise cleaning these parts is all that's usually needed and a tiny amount of oil applied with a toothpick where the capstan shaft enters the mechanism. This is to oil that bearing. Clean off excess with a Q-tip.

pic 3 is the well of an autoreverse machine. Note it has 2 capstans and 2 rollers. This is because the pinch roller that is engaged is always after the head. When the tape direction changes, the roller on one side disengages and the roller of the other side engages. The capstans on autoreverse machines turn opposite directions. The motor doesn't reverse, the mechanism handles direction change.

The exception to this rule (isn't there always?). High quality machines may be labeled as being "closed loop". This means it has two capstans and two rollers that both engage simultaneously, turning the same direction, to keep precise tension on the tape as it goes across the heads. No matter, clean them BOTH.

So what do you clean these with? The CORRECT answer is Q-tips or similar, head cleaning liquid on the capstan shaft, and pinch roller cleaner on the roller. What have I been using since the 80's and never had a failure? Q-tips and rubbing alcohol. I can hear the cries of blasphemy as I type... Never had a failure and always been able to produce top notch tapes from my decks. Some folks use 80-90% isopropyl alcohol. I've had zero issues with regular drug store rubbing alcohol on both roller and heads. I own over 100 machines and welcome anyone to come do forensics on them. The concern with rubbing alcohol is it can leave a residue. There's also been concern of drying out the rollers. Ok, once your down cleaning, give everything a once over with a clean dry Q-tip and rock on. I have yet to have issues on everything from Naks, to Sony's.

An added little bonus, literally. The last picture is the tape well inside a microcassette deck. Notice the same stuff, placed a little differently. It does the same, it's cleaned the same.

The heads are what erases, records, and reads (plays) the tape. These are the most critical part of any tape player and they cannot be repaired, only replaced on cassette decks. On reel to reel machines they can sometimes be resurfaced (lapped) but not so on cassette decks. Once wore out, they must be replaced or the machine is junk.

Cassette decks can have 1,2,3 or even 4 heads. Lets cover the most common which are the 1 and 2 head machines.

On a 1 head machine, you only have the ability to play tapes. You cannot record. Think Walkman (portable) units, kids players, and boomboxes that have one well for play and one well for play/record. Pic 1 is the tape well in a portable. The head is the silver thing in the middle. It's what reads the tape.

In pics 2-5 you see inside the well of a standard, non auto reverse, 2 head machine. The head in the center is now a play/record head. It does double duty. This is by far the most common setup.

In pic 2 you see a good shot of the layout of a 2 head machine. From left to right, erase head, play/record head, and capstan/pinch roller. The erase head does just as the name implies, it erases the tape and gets it ready to be recorded on. On really cheap machines, they replace that part with a tiny permanent magnet on a swing arm. That setup is bottom of the barrel and only found on very low end machines. You want a machine with a proper erase head.

Pics 3-4 show you two focused close ups. pic 3 is the erase head, pic 4 is the play/record head.

Pic 6 shows you an autoreverse 2 head setup. The erase and play/record head are sandwiched and rotate together depending which way the tape is playing.

So what about these 3 and 4 head machines I mentioned? A 3 head machine has an erase, record, and play head. Top of the line machines are setup this way. In an ideal world, the head used for recording is engineered differently than one used for playing. To extract the absolute best out of a tape, 3 or 4 head machines are the way to go. These machines are also capable of letting you hear your recording as it's being made so you can do some test recordings and tweak on the fly.

What's a 4 head machine? Its a three head in an auto reverse setup. The record and play heads are sandwiched together in the center and rotate, on either side you have a very thin erase head that energized as needed. These machines are rare. Standard 3 head is the way to go.

In pic 5 you see a real clean shot of the inside of a 2 head well. Notice the top of the record/play head. See the reflection on it? Notice the reflection clues you into the fact that surface is perfectly even, no dips or gouges. That's what you want when buying a used deck regardless of head count. The roller is also perfect with no cracks. The capstan shaft has a weird reflection from the light I used so ignore that.

Playing a tape is basically rubbing a rust coated plastic strip across a tiny electromagnet coil. Since there is friction, the head wears over time. Cheap or really old (dull looking) tapes make it worse. The wear is never even. As the head wears, the contact pattern of the tape on the head becomes uneven. This causes high frequencies to suffer. In really worn out machines, even good tapes can sound like someone threw a towel over the speakers.

If you are looking for more details, kindly visit Tape Production Machine.

In pic 7 you see the door taken off a home deck. A great many home machines have removeable doors. You gently lift up and towards you and it pops off. Not all have this but most all mid to high end decks do. This makes it easier to get in there and clean things.

In pic 8 you see an oddball. There were some decks made that the tape went flat into a slide out drawer. Some of those machines had a little access door up top you pop open and can access the heads and pinch roller for cleaning. The ones that don't have that may require removing the top cover for proper cleaning. There are head cleaning tapes but nothing beats a proper cleaning.

What to clean the heads with? Proper way is Q-tips and head cleaning fluid (pic 9). Like I mentioned before, I've been using pharmacy rubbing alcohol for decades and NEVER had an issue.

I see this question pop up lot on forums quite a bit.. "How do I connect my ipod//pc to my deck so I can record?" Ok, here goes!

On the back of all component (stand alone) type tape decks you will find IN and OUT jacks. These may be labelled PLAY (out) and RECORD (in). In the USA it's common to see RCA jacks as in pic 1. In Europe you may see DIN style connectors that perform the same task. On some but not all decks you may see MIC inputs for left and right as shown in pic 2.

You will be using the line level in, the jacks on the back marked IN, INPUT, or RECORD. Same function, three different ways to name it. What can you connect there? Your ipod, , PC, a cd player, or any other LINE LEVEL source. In order to connect an ipod, PC, or , you will need a cable that plugs into your player and has a pair of RCA plugs on the other end. Typically it's a red and white one. Red is for the right if you care to keep the music exactly as it was meant to be heard as far as where the musicians/instruments are in the sound field.

The MIC jacks are for microphones and will sound horrible if you try to feed a music player into there. It overloads them and you'll get distortion.

Once you have the right cable, pick the loudest song you'll be recording and we'll setup for that.

Power up the deck, pop in a blank tape, hit record. Some decks require you hit play and record together. Once the tape is moving, turn the record level adjustment up halfway. Some decks have a single control for level, some have separate knobs, some have two knobs that turn together. You want both left and right meters roughly the same. Next, hit play on your source of music and slowly bring it's volume up till you see the meters just barely peaking past the zero mark. All setup, stop the tape, don't touch any levels, rewind the tape, get your playlist cued up on your player, hit record and play on as needed on the deck to get it going with record indicator on, count to 5, hit play on your source. The meters should start moving and you're making a tape!

You now have the basics and are laying down your first tape!

Now to answer a bunch of questions..

1) Why count to 5? All blank tapes intended for music have a leader, a piece of clear tape at the beginning and end. This leader is 5 seconds long and you can't record on it.

2) My deck has no record level control or meters, what do I do? Trial and error unfortunately. Make a test recording starting with volume on player at max and drop down in increments keeping track of how much you dropped each time. Play back the tape you made and see what produced the best sound. Continue using that setting until you get a better recorder with record level adjustment.

3) What's the difference between old style needle in pic 2 (analog) meters and decks with digital meters like pic 3? Functionally the same. They still have the same scale. Analog meters are slightly slower to show fast peaks.

4) My deck is a 3 head and has a tape monitor switch. 3 and 4 head decks allow you to listen to a recording as its being made. You may hear a slight echo in the background when monitoring the recording that was just made.

5) Can I record louder? Yes, by all means but different brands and formulations will react differently to louder levels. Some can take +3 or +6 without issue. To keep it safe and assure you success until you learn your machine/tape limitations, stay under the +3. What happens if it's too loud? Fuzzy distortion.

Here's some advanced recording info to help you as you delve further into cassette.

Dolby noise reduction - Dolby reduces the hiss that's inherent to all tape recordings. If hiss doesn't bother you, don't bother using it. If hiss is an issue, here's the breakdown of the different Dolby technologies found throughout the history of cassette decks. They all basically compress the signal on record and then expand it back on playback in effect, lowering the noise floor.

Dolby B - The oldest form of noise reduction. Dolby B tapes can be played back on any machine with or without Dolby. The effect of playing back a Dolby B encoded tape on a player without it will seem like boosted highs. This is sometimes welcomed by tapers making tapes to use on portables and such that don't have the performance of a fullsize home deck.

Dolby C - This format works on both highs and mids. Tapes recorded with C sound pretty awful on machines that can't decode it. The mids will be weird.

Dolby S - This was cassette tapes last hurrah. Superior to all other Dolby formats for cassette but not may machines had it. By this time recordable CD was affordable.

Dolby HX Pro - This is a record only process compatible with all machines. It varies the bias (beyond the scope of this instructable) allowing for hotter audio peaks without distortion. If you listen closely, an attentive listener may pickup on the fact it sacrifices lows in order to keep highs from distorting on peaks. Think of it as a parachute to keep you from wrecking a recording if there's some loud passages you didn't account for when you set levels. You want a deck with this feature. Pic 1 shows a deck that has a similar but non-Dolby feature called Dynamics Detection.

Dolby look-a-likes - There were some noise reduction systems out there that worked similar to Dolby. JVC for example pushed ANRS and Super ANRS for a while. It didn't catch on and even they gave up and added Dolby to their decks.

Decks with Auto Calibration pic 2 - This is another great feature to have, like HX Pro. You'll need to find the manual to your machine if it has it so you can read how it works on your particular machine. What this does is it puts the machine into an automatic mode that records a series of tones at different settings on the tape. It then rewinds and plays back the tones listening to them to find the best setting for your particular blank tape. Once complete, the machine rewinds and is ready to record having calibrated its internal settings as best it can to match the chemistry of your tape. You still set record levels and everything else operates as normal. The process is only good till you power the machine off or eject the tape. It clears out the settings once that happens. Since all manufacture's tapes are slightly different, this process helps you squeeze the most performance from the tape. Some machines have a feature like this but it's manual and uses an indicator on the display you line up. This is not a common feature.

Bias settings - Generally speaking, decks from the silver face era and older will require you to set some controls on the front of the machine marked "bias" to the correct setting. Your blank tape should be marked normal, high bias, or metal. Set the switches accordingly for proper sounding recordings. By the time everybody quit making silver faced gear and it was all black, those machines had auto sensing switches that detected the bias notches on the tape and set themselves. There are exceptions to this of course. If you see switches for bias and they say 120uS or 70uS, they need to be set according to what tape you use. Setting it wrong won't break anything, you'll just get a lousy recording.

Tech bonus - On older machines, pretty much all machines from the top loader and the silver face era, there will be a mechanical switch that switches internal circuits from record to play. Got a machine with a dead channel or one that goes bonkers pegging the meters and buzzing when put into record no matter what you do? Try cleaning the internal record / play switch. In pic 3 you see the inside of an older drawer style deck from the silver face era. In the center bottom of the pic are two silver vertical assemblies that are long. Those are the record / Play switches. Pop a recordable tape in the machine (you're not going to record on it and machine should be unplugged) Bathe them in electrical contact cleaner (available at auto parts stores) while mashing the record button, hitting stop, hitting record, hitting stop. You're looking to actuate that switch, repeatedly. You'll see one of the ends have a plastic piece that moves maybe 1/4" or so when actuated. Not all machines have two, some have one. This feature was replaced by chips towards the late 's so "newer" machines don't have these.

Got scratchy controls or controls that act up? Same drill, bathe the circuit board side of the switch or control with contact cleaner, cycle the switches or turn the knobs back and forth. They should clear up. These are common problems with old audio gear. Too many stereos get tossed to the curb just because of noisy controls.

Do this outdoors. The fumes from this stuff is strong. Don't forget to let the contact cleaner dry out thoroughly before plugging gear in.

Article Contents

• Getting Started With Reel to Reel Tape Players
• New and Refurbished Reel to Reel Machines
• Common Parts of a Reel to Reel player
• History of Reel to Reel Players
• Tape Sizes and Speeds of Tape
• Tape Reel Sizes
• Recording Formats
• Most Popular Reel to Reel Players
• Proper Tape Storage
• Cleanliness
• Protecting Your Tapes
• Products to Protect Your Tapes
• Heads Out, Tails Out
• Common Problems With Reel to Reel Players
• Restoring Reel to Reel Players
• When to Demagnetize Your Reel to Reel Players

Getting Started With Reel to Reel Tape Players

So, you are thinking about entering the growing world of reel to reel tape players? While the technology is not new, being present in some capacity since the late ’s, it is making a comeback. In fact, beyond the average reel to reel enthusiast, many modern musicians prefer the quality and sound that is not readily achievable by modern recording equipment due to a more “natural” and “fuller” sound.

Curious About What Goes Into A Reel?  See Our Definitive Guide to Reels for Open Reel Tape Decks by Neville Roberts. 

New and Refurbished Reel to Reel Machines

There are a few manufacturers that are producing new reel to reel tape players. They include Ballfinger, Metaxas and the most recent addition the Thorens TM . If you would prefer a classic machine, United Home Audio, Mara Machines and J-Corder sell completely refurbished reel to reel players. After they have been refurbished some customers prefer the performance of the classic machines to those that are brand new.

For the technically inclined there are many reel to reel recorders that can be found on after-market sales sites and through vendor services that can be repaired at home. There are many specialty sites that will allow you to repair damaged or missing items on your current reel to reel machines. Below you will find a brief synopsis about the parts, history, problems, repairs, and intricacies of reel to reel players that will allow you to have a greater understanding of their place and use in the world of recording and how an enthusiast like you can join in the fun.

Common Parts of a Reel to Reel player

When discussing the parts of a reel to reel player it's important to note that there are some parts that are found on a particular brand or model that might not be found on others. The parts listed below have been selected as they are common parts that will be found on the majority of reel to reel players.

• Tension arm - A tension arm is a device used in magnetic tape recorders/reproducers to control the tension of the magnetic tape during machine operation.
• Idler or Pinch Roller - A roller of flexible material which presses the tape or wire in a magnetic recorder against the capstan for drive purposes.
• Tape Head - The tape head is the part of a tape recording or playback device which converts the magnetic fluctuations present in the tape into an electrical signal, which is then amplified and sent to speakers or headphones.
• Capstan - The capstan is a rotating spindle used to move recording tape through the mechanism of a tape recorder.
• Erase Head - the erase head is a permanent magnet that is mechanically moved into contact with the moving tape only during recording.
• Supply Reel - The supply reel or feed reel contains the tape and is placed on a spindle or hub where it feeds during use to the takeup reel.
• Takeup reel - Receives tape from the supply reel through guides during use of a reel to reel player. RX Reels makes some of the best supply and take up reels found anywhere!
• Skew Control - Allow for minor adjustments in tape tension.
• Tape Lifters - Are used to save wear and tear on the heads and to suppress some loud annoying sounds by popping up to pull the tape away from the heads during use.
• Tape Guide - These are used to help guide the tape from the supply reel to the takeup reel during operation.
• Power Switch - A power switch/control is used to turn the power on to a reel to reel player and ready it for use.
• Function Controls - Are used to control the function of a reel to reel player, start or stop the recording process, select tape type, rewind, and many other functions.
• Input Jacks - Depending on the make/model and age of your reel to reel player, it may or may not have input jacks that allow you to plug in many external inputs from microphones to external monitoring devices.
• Erase Head - The erase head is a permanent magnet that is mechanically moved into contact with the moving tape to wipe the tape clean of signals before recording.
• Record Head - The record head is a very small, circular electromagnet with a small gap in it that creates a magnetic field in the core during recording and magnetizes the oxide on the tape.
• Playback head - The playback head is the part of a tape recorder that is used to pick up the magnetic pattern on tape in order to play back material previously recorded.

History of Reel to Reel Players

The reel-to-reel format was used in the earliest tape recorders, including the pioneering German-British Blattnerphone () machines of the late s which used steel tape, and the German Magnetophon machines of the s. One of the first Sony reel to reel recorders available in the US was the 553.

Manufacturers such as Studer, Stellavox, Tascam, and Denon still produced reel to reel tape recorders in the s, but as of , the only company that continued to manufacture analog reel-to-reel recorders is Mechlabor.

It is important to note that some musical artists of different genres prefer analog tape, claiming it is more "musical" or "natural" sounding than digital recording processes, despite its fidelity inaccuracies. Due to harmonic distortion, bass can thicken up, creating a fuller-sounding mix. In addition, high end frequencies can be slightly compressed, which some claim is more natural to the human ear, though this claim is difficult to quantify due to the very personal aesthetics as to what is 'natural' sound.

When looking at reel to reel players that have been around for many decades, it's plain to see that they are still relevant today for both the reel to reel enthusiast, musical historians, and even in the professional recording process in studios all across the country.

Tape Sizes and Speeds of Tape

The faster the speed, the better the reproduction quality. Higher tape speeds spread the signal longitudinally over more tape area, reducing the effects of dropouts that can be audible from the medium, and noticeably improving high frequency response. Slower tape speeds conserve tape and are useful in applications where sound quality is not critical.

• 15⁄16 inch per second or IPS (2.38 cm/s): used for very long-duration recordings (e.g. recording a radio station's entire output in case of complaints, aka "logging").
• 1+7⁄8 IPS (4.76 cm/s): usually the slowest domestic speed, best for long duration speech recordings. Compact Tape Cassettes typically operate at this speed.
• 3+3⁄4 in/s (9.53 cm/s): common domestic speed, used on most single-speed domestic machines, reasonable quality for speech and off-air radio recordings.
• 7+1⁄2 in/s (19.05 cm/s): highest domestic speed, also slowest professional; used by most radio stations for "dubs", copies of commercial announcements. Through the early to mid s, many stations could not handle 15 IPS.
• 15 in/s (38.1 cm/s): professional music recording and radio programming.
• 30 in/s (76.2 cm/s): used where the best possible treble response and lowest noise-floor are demanded, though bass response might suffer.
• ¼” tape is typical for mono or stereo tape machines that are intended for home use. Most available reel-to-reel machines are designed to read and record on ¼” tapes and it is the most commonly used tape size for available recordings.
• ½”, 1” and 2” tape was primarily used in professional studios. The larger width of the tape provides more area on which to store information. So potentially a wider width tape would be capable of recording a higher sound quality.

Tape Reel Sizes

In addition to the speed at which the tapes are recorded and played, reel to reel tapes are produced in a number of sizes.

• 7-inch reels are the most commonly used reel size for home consumer use. They are generally available with ¼” tape.
• 10.5-inch reels are the typical size of reels for master recordings as well as ‘prosumer quality’ reel to reel recorders.

Recording Formats

The different recording formats of reel-to-reel recording are generally split between home use and studio use. The two main recording formats are two-track/half-track or four-track/quarter-track.

Half-Track Recordings

In the case of half-track recordings the left channel uses half of the tape and the right channel records on the other half of the tape. By utilizing all of the available recording area the recording maximizes the sound quality for the width of the tape, but the drawback is that when you reach the end of the tape you must rewind it and start from the beginning.

Quarter-Track Recordings

Quarter-track recordings utilized a quarter of the tape for the right and left channels respectively, in each direction of the tape. So that when you reach the end of the tape you can “flip it over” and play back the “b-side”. This allows the maximum amount of content to be recorded on each tape.

So the trade off between half-track and quarter-track players is that half-track recorders maximize sound quality while sacrificing playback time, while quarter-track players maximize your playable content while sacrificing a bit of sound quality.

Most Popular Reel to Reel Players

1. TEAC - On August 8, , the brothers formed the Tokyo Electro-Acoustic Company (TEAC) and began producing their early reel to reel tape recorders. In June the Tokyo Television Acoustic Co. and Tokyo Electro-Acoustic Co. joined forces to manufacture tape recorders. In the Teac 505R reel to reel tape recorder was released. TASCAM was first conceptualized as a division of TEAC specializing in research and development of professional recording technology called TASC (TEAC Audio Systems Corp.). TASCAM was created in to sell their recording devices in the United States and still creates quality recording equipment to this day..
2. Sony - Sony found its beginning in the wake of World War II. In , Masaru Ibuka started an electronics shop in a bomb-damaged department store building in Tokyo. The company had $530 in capital and a total of eight employees. ] The next year, he was joined by his colleague, Akio Morita, and they founded a company called Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo (Tokyo Telecommunications Engineering Corporation). The company built Japan's first tape recorder, called the Type-G. In the company name was changed to Sony First Sony Tape Prototype called Soni-Tape - . First Sony Tape Recorder Prototype.
3. Akai - Akai Electric Company Ltd. was founded by Masukichi Akai in Tokyo Japan in July of as a manufacturer of radio components, sockets and other electrical parts. In Akai unveiled a deluxe version of its high grade tape recorder. With the deluxe stereo model which was brought out the following year, Akai had acquired a firm position in the domestic market. In Akai made its first foray into the tape recorder field by bringing out the AT-1 model, a tape recorder kit. This was followed in by their first independently developed tape recorder, the 900.
4. Technics - Panasonic National Technics was founded in by Konosuke Matsushita. In , Konosuke Matsushita traveled to the United States and met with American dealers. Panasonic began producing television sets for the U.S. market under the Panasonic brand name. The company introduced the RS- reel to reel tape recorder with speakers used for recording in Japan in with the brand name Technics. (Shop: Technics Decks For Sale.)
5. Pioneer - Nozomu Matsumoto founded Pioneer as an audio products manufacturer in , making speakers in his garage. The PIONEER RT-909 reel to reel tape recorder introduced in . (Shop: Pioneer Decks For Sale.)
6. Ampex - The technology used to create the Ampex 200-A was based upon 2 German Magnetophones that a soldier in the US Army Signal Corp, named Jack Mullin, had shipped back in pieces after WWII. The technology was adopted by Bing Crosby for his radio show due to its sound quality and ease of editing and Crosby Enterprises is said to have been instrumental in providing funding for its commercial production. )Shop: Ampex Decks For Sale.)
7. Roberts - Roberts reel to reel tape recorders were designed by Robert Metzner in the US and manufactured by Akai in Japan. They were then sold as Roberts Electronics Inc., in the US and as Akai under licence in the rest of the world until .
8. Crown - The company, then known as International Radio and Electronics Corporation (IREC), was first known for manufacturing small and durable open reel tape recorders for missionaries in hard to access parts of the world and in received a patent for the first tape recorder with a built in amplifier. Crown continued to innovate, and in the ’s produced the 150-watt DC300 solid-state amplifier, which is still used by audio professionals today.
9. Fostex - Founded in by Foster Electric. By they were producing three reel to reel recorders with the A-8 being the most popular as it was the first to allow 8-tracks on ¼” tape. Their innovations continued throughout the 80’s and 90’s culminating with their final analog reel to reel recorder the G-24S which was capable of recording 24 tracks on 1” tape and reaching unbefore known levels of sound quality.
10. Studer-Revox - Began in building products for high voltage labs. Transitions to recording equipment by modifying foreign recorders for British use. The Dynavox T26 was designed with 10” reels and single track 1” tape, it was later renamed the Revox T26. The company later became known for its innovative models the G36 and the Studer-Revox A77. (Shop: Studer Decks For Sale.)
11. Nagra - The original Nagra, a portable tape recorder, was invented in by Stefen Kudelski. The company was an innovator in analog tape recorder technology until when it transitioned to digital audio recording with the Nagra-D.
12. Tandberg - Founded in in Oslo, Norway Tandberg introduced many technological advances that were later adopted by other industry leaders. The TB-6X utilized a cross-field recording technique which allowed their machines to handle higher frequencies. Tandberg allowed Akai and Roberts recorders to use it in their recorders under license.

Proper Tape Storage

Reel to reel tapes have a common life of 20 years, but with proper storage some enthusiasts have noted that their tapes have remained in good condition for up to 50 years. Following certain guidelines can significantly increase the lifespan of your reel to reel tapes.

Cleanliness

Simply keeping your tapes clean can have a large impact on their longevity. Tapes should be handled with care in a no smoking, no food area. Tapes should also not be allowed to drag on the floor.

Protecting Your Tapes

Tapes can be damaged by drops and sudden jolts so adequate care should be taken when handling them. They should be stored away from magnets and electronics that can produce magnetic fields including speakers, and other equipment particularly transformers and other strong magnets. Magnets have been found to be less of a danger to the tapes than previously thought but when talking about tape longevity even a small chance of harm should be avoided. Tapes should be stored in a cool and dry place and not exposed to direct sunlight.

Products to Protect Your Tapes

Wrap around collars that fit around or between the flanges can be used. They protect the tape by helping to exclude dust and debris as well as preventing the flanges from deflecting and pressing against the edge of the tape. Damaged, bent or nicked reels can also pose a risk to your tapes. RX Reels provide premium protection from this kind of tape damage because the reels are madefrom carbon fiber and aluminum hubs rather than plastic; they are incredibly strong and not subject to warping, bending or nicks in the same way that a similar plastic reel may be.

Heads Out, Tails Out

The terms heads out or tails out are used to reference which way that a tape has been wound. Heads out is when a tape has been rewound onto the supply reel and tails out is when a tape has been wound onto the take-up reel. It is considered best practice to store your tapes tails out because of a process called “print-through,” which is the process by which the magnetic flux of the tape slightly alters or prints on the layer below. The imprint can create a “pre-echo” for heads out tape storage or a “post-echo” for tails out tape storage. Post-echos have been found to be much harder to detect so it is recommended that tapes be stored tails out.

Common Problems With Reel to Reel Players

If you have purchased, or currently find yourself in possession of a reel to reel machine that is currently not working, most often you can narrow down your issues to one or more of the following issues:

• I can’t plug in my reel to reel recorder (damaged cord cap).
• It won’t power on (recorder plugs in but has something internal not allowing it to turn on).
• The tape won’t move (recorder powers on but will not progress tape).
• Tape is moving but won’t play audio or won’t record (Internal issue with the heads or other problem).
• One channel is muffled (not getting clear/concise sound during playback).
• It's playing at the wrong speed (tape/speed selection is not operating properly).

In the following section, we will go over some of the troubleshooting and restoration techniques that will help you identify and resolve these issues and allow you to start enjoying all of the benefits of reel to reel ownership.

Restoring Reel to Reel Players

If you currently own a reel to reel player and you are having issues with it, or you are looking to get into the world of reel to reel players and are trying to learn more about what the restoration process involves, below are a series of steps which you can use to troubleshoot/restore any reel to reel player presented in a logical and linear format.

1. Identify the problem to determine which of the many different components in a reel to reel recorder that you need to focus on fixing.
2. Unplug the machine and take it to a place where you have plenty of room to work on it such as a workbench or table where you won't lose parts or spill liquid on your project.
3. Clean the reel heads. The best way to do this is by using cotton swabs (do not use anything metal) and a special cleaning solution you can order online on sites such as Amazon, and to give the heads and thorough cleaning to remove any dirt and dust that may be present. After completion of the cleaning, ensure that the machine has been given sufficient time to dry. After an appropriate drying time, simply load in some tape and run a test and see if your problem has been resolved.
4. Disassemble your reel to reel player and check for any loose components that may be present on the interior.
5. Replace any parts that are not working properly.
6. Test your reel to reel player and ensure that it is working properly or if you need to find additional non-working parts.

When to Demagnetize Your Reel to Reel Players

Have you put any thought into demagnetization of your reel to reel player? While many people understand the importance of this simple procedure, many do not. Below are some of the times which you should consider giving your reel to reel machine some demagnetization love.

• After a good cleaning if during use you still are hearing a high level hiss or background noise or are experiencing poor quality recording.
• If your reel to reel player has been stored and unused for an extended time.
• Before a master recording or listening to rare and precious tapes that could be damaged.
• Before using alignment tapes to ensure that your machine is tuned up and ready for use.
• After every 20 hours of use.

This process is important due to the fact that magnetization of the iron oxide in the magnetic tape is how the recording process takes place. Due to the process, it is common for parts of the machine to become magnetized and could result in poor recording and playback performance if demagnetization is not done regularly.

We hope you found this post helpful for understanding more about Reel to Reel Tape Players. For a guide on what goes into a reel for open reel tape decks check out our blog post here. 

RX Reels prides ourselves on manufacturing the world's best carbon fiber reels. Learn more about us and why Ken Kessler from Soundstage!HIFI has said "The RX Reels are among the mechanically best I've ever seen. In use they provide the most even take-up I've experienced." 

See RX Reels Carbon Fiber 10.5" and 7" reels here.

You Might Also Enjoy: Ken Kessler's Review of RX Reels 7 Inch Carbon Fiber Reel 

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References

https://museumofmagneticsoundrecording.org/ Jack Endino. "Response Curves of Analog Recorders". Endino.com. Retrieved -06-29 Workbench Guide to Tape Recorder Servicing. G. Howard Poteet, https://thereeltoreelrambler.com/reel-to-reel-tape-a-beginners-guide/tape-formats/ https://www.clir.org/pubs/reports/pub54/care_and_handling/ Edwards, Scott. “Zen and the Art Of Tape Editing.” Technical Tools of the Trade. http://www.techtoolstraining.org/spotlight//6/7/zen-and-the-art-of-tape-editing. Retrieved -07-15https://r2rtx.org/node/15) https://museumofmagneticsoundrecording.org/ Workbench Guide to Tape 

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Kevin Root